Britcom Goes To The Movies

At BritCom Goes to the Movies, we are dipping back into the world of Armando Iannucci. Last we heard of him on this show, he’d just adapted his hit sitcom The Thick of It into big screen success In The Loop, and eight years later was turning his attention to a farcical retelling of an actual moment in history with The Death of Stalin.Based on a French graphic novel telling of the Soviet dictator’s demise, Iannucci reassembled some of his most trusted writers and performers to tell this story in a very Thick of It way, without the need for comedy Russian accents. Ian Martin and David Schneider, longtime Iannucci collaborators, would help write, and while the cast had familiar Britcom faces, there would also be a sprinkling of Hollywood with Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor as well as the cream of theater in Simon Russell Beale as the terrifying Beria.We dip not only into this 2017 movie but also the critically acclaimed 2001 sketch show, The Armando Iannucci Shows, which was one of the few TV series that Armando wrote and produced, which he also took the lead in performing. This is a second episode in a row in which we feature a TV show written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (amongst others), and (spoiler alert) we enjoyed their work here much more than we did Hyperdrive.Joining Guy and Rob is the brilliant comedian, writer, and historian Eleanor Morton, who jumped at the chance to talk about one of her favourite films of the 2010s. But would Rob and Guy be quite so effusive? This episode would also represent Guy’s chance to put the quiz competition to bed with one episode remaining. Going into episode nine, Guy had a two-point lead. If he could extend this into episode ten, it would surely be curtains for Rob.Armando Iannucci - OJ Simpson on the Saturday Night Armisticehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKfEtYYqSl4The Armando Iannucci Shows - Hello Hughhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqmjWCk36C8The Armando Iannucci Shows - Chronic fatigue syndromehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDhoM_vhIeoDeath of Stalin - Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eAshaPvYwDeath of Stalin - Rupert Friendhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-mq2RPAtoDeath of Stalin - Best of Zhukovhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNbvepjd46A
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Get on your dancing shoes and join Guy and Rob (because it only takes two to tango) for 2014’s Cuban Fury. Something of a passion project for Nick Frost, who basically wanted to learn how to dance and probably wanted to be the main character in a wish-fulfillment Rom Com. There’s some transatlantic crossover here as Rashida Jones of The Office, Parks and Rec, and being the daughter of famous people, joined the mainly British and Irish cast.We’ve covered Nick Frost before, of course, but never as a leading man, and while he teamed up with Nira Park and Big Talk once again, there was no trace of Edgar Wright here, but just the tiniest bit of Simon Pegg. To pair a TV show with this, it made sense to pick the first time Frost had a lead role in a sitcom as well, the divisive Hyperdrive. Starting in 2006 and running for two series, this was Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley’s (them again) venture into the unknown, for a space set sci-fi sitcom with just a few echoes of the two big hitters that came before it.To find out if Rob and Guy liked either Hyperdrive or Cuban Fury, you’ll need to tune in for episode seven, which, in a series laden with guests, stands out as one for the purists. Can Rob claw back the quiz deficit? Will Guy mention The Beatles? Will we have a challenger for the upper or lower places in the league table? Only one way to know for sure!Hyperdrive Series 1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz-1c2o1Dxw&list=PL2907664D333F4F02Hyperdrive - Starting Therapyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbKr4cm1-8Cuban Fury - Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFSP9iO71AECuban Fury - Kayvan Novakhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrllJthntlECuban Fury - Al Pacino Impressionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVaVICJF_gQ
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Episode Seven began life as a thread on Bluesky by our guest Tim Worthington. The font of all obscure pop culture knowledge was discussing with followers what the most obscure BritCom they'd seen at the cinema was. Needless to say, a lot of the answers were on our long list, but not Tim's choice.The Young Poisoner's Handbook is the darkest of all the dark comedies we've covered so far. Based on, but the filmmakers must stress, not a biopic of The Teacup Poisoner Graham Young, who killed several people in the 60s and 70s.A film full of familiar Britcom faces, including Roger Lloyd Pack, Charlotte Coleman, John Thompson, and Simon Kunz. Still, it's the central performance from Irish actor Hugh O'Connor that really stole the show.Co-writer Jeff Rawle was at the height of his Drop the Dead Donkey fame when this film was released in 1995, so the topical newsroom sitcom by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin was the obvious choice for our "source material" and was a joy to revisit. Join Rob, Guy, and Tim for the Young Poisoner's Handbook.

Damien Gets High On The Field - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://youtu.be/JfeQyp0PihM?si=t0cIRk2zFHKVfNZq

Teddy Bear Disaster - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0sLEMCEdY

How To Announce a War - Drop The Dead Donkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErktQhN6TvM

Episode One - Educating Marmalade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGeHsjfVptk

Marmalade Atkins joins MI5 - Danger: Marmalade at Work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHBCxewUANM

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7_e79Ik3Vs

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - Full Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ndiGKuUkt0&t=1012s
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Last time Kat Hughes joined Rob and Guy, the horror writer and critic had the misfortune of dissecting the Christmas family mess Nativity! This time she’s much more in her wheelhouse as we discuss Bloodbath at the House of Death. A vehicle for Britain’s best loved DJ Kenny Everett to take his brand of spoofing, innuendo and larger than life characters to the big screen after the success on both ITV and BBC with his Video Show/Television Show.It cannot be underestimated just what a huge cultural phenomenon Kenny Everett was. As one of Britain’s most popular Radio and TV personalities in the early 80s, he could make careers of pop stars and bands and was able to attract some of the biggest names to guest on his TV shows. However, just when it looked like Kenny might hit the big time on the big screen, a controversial incident at the Young Conservatives conference of 1984 was publicity suicide for Bloodbath and it crashed and burned at the box office.However, as was often the case in the mid-80s, VHS came somewhat to its rescue, and now the film is even on Netflix…but was it any good? Could a supporting cast of such huge BritCom names as Pamela Stephenson, Don Warrington and John Fortune elevate this film beyond Everett’s more disposable TV sketches? Could Vincent Price give it some Hollywood clout and horror credibility? Writer Barry Cryer and writer director Ray Cameron had been working with Everett for years, but the big screen was fairly new to them as well.We discuss all of the above and more in episode six, so join us as we take a trip to The House of Death.Kenny Everett Video Show - Best of VHShttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HeX1CPQf9kKenny Everett Television Showhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecqQBG9q3OkCharley Says Always Tell Your Mummyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDu7yYHxZr0The Prodigy - Charlyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTBFZ-To2EPamela Stephenson - England My Leotardhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMXIro1P_7gPamela Stephenson - Shrink Wraphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZodTyEoFRZQBloodbath at the House of Death - Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6zmvE-uEu0Bloodbath at the House of Death - Best of Vincent Pricehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyLWS_CjI1M
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Now that’s enough of the 1970s, let’s move this series into the 20th century. Well, actually, our story for this icon of BritCom begins at the end of the 20th. Harry Hill won the Perrier award in 1992 and was quickly on TV and radio soon after. Rob and Guy take a particular look at The Harry Hill Show…or rather just Harry Hill as it was known on Channel 4 in the late 90s.

To join the chaps is Harry Hill superfan, internet sensation, and comedy writer Ruth Husko. As it turns out, both Ruth and Rob saw an early Harry Hill tour as their first forays into live comedy. Guy, however, still needed some convincing of the wonder of Hill’s own brand of surreal silliness. Could he be won over?

Well, the chances are that would not be done by watching the universally panned Harry Hill Movie from 2013. Held up as one of the cases that most proves the rule that big-screen adaptations of small-screen comedy don’t work, but is it really that bad? There’s only one way to find out…FIIIIFGHTT! Or just have a listen to the latest episode of BritCom Goes to the Movies.

Harry Hill - Fruit Fancies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlIGkKUxWak

Harry Hill - Fruit Corner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOOkh8ffqko

Harry Hill - Channel 4 - SE1 Ep1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUS_EPSNNtY&list=PLVEP6KjsyeTd9sScdD-KH4ZTvvWuW17V5

Harry Hill and Stoofer - 7 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeW61GTxe-Q

TV Burp - Ear Cataracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswiFD8qSgI

Harry Hill Movie - Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywarD9fcZGQ

Harry Hill Movie - Blackpool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg1AxAHJBJg

Shooting Stars - Billy Elliott

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-ASY9X1dU
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